1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of manufacturing flexible sheet-like articles having a raised bead pattern on one surface thereof. More particularly, it relates to a method of manufacture, from plastic materials, of articles such as tablecloths, place mats, doilies, shower curtains, drapes, aprons and the like comprising a perforated lace-like, three dimensional plastic pattern bonded to a backing sheet of flexible plastic material or to a layer of plastic material or to both.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,216 discloses a method of manufacturing finished articles of flexible plastic material, as follows: forming a sheet of plastic material of substantially uniform thickness, forming at least one pair of closely spaced continuous beads of plastic material, the sheet and the beads being placed in overlying contact with each other while at least one of them is still less than fully cured, curing the still less than fully cured material while simultaneously bonding the sheet and the beads together to form a cured flexible plastic sheet having bonded to one surface thereof at least one pair of closely spaced continuous beads of flexible plastic material demarcating the desired finished article from unwanted scrap material comprising the rest of the sheet, and separating the scrap material from the finished article by tearing the sheet between the beads.
The foregoing method is useful in the production of articles of the class described especially where the desired pattern has irregular or indented edges and it is desired to conform the edges of the backing sheet or layer to the edges of the pattern.